DLA Piper strengthens restructuring team with new partner

Effective April 2025, Juan Verdugo will join the firm's Madrid office and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge supporting a range of companies on their complex restructuring and distressed debt matters.

Joining from Garrigues, Juan is widely considered as a leading Restructuring lawyer in Spain and will support the firm's strategy of advising on complex restructuring matters, both cross-border and domestic, providing strategic guidance and innovative solutions to clients.

During his career, Juan has led on several high-profile matters, and advises major banks, investment funds, venture capital companies and servicers on investment, divestment processes and cross-border insolvencies. He has, in 2016 and 2019, been recognised at the Financial Times European Innovative Lawyers Awards for his innovative work in restructuring and recovery of non-performing loans.

Alongside, Juan is a founding member of the Spanish Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association, he co-authored the first English-language guide on distressed transactions in Spain, and lectures on corporate restructuring.

DLA Piper's Global Restructuring team advises a range of clients on complex, cross-border and high-profile matters, including:

• Securing a landmark restructuring plan decision for Fürst group, a mixed-use development project in Berlin
• Since 2020 advising the UK and Abu Dhabi joint administrators of the NMC group with a range of matters including debt restructuring, distressed asset sales, investigations and litigation
• Advising Germany battery manufacturer, Varta AG on its restructuring programme, which in December 2024 became legally binding
• Advising the administrators of The Bodyshop International Ltd on the liquidation of multiple subsidiaries within its group, spanning 11 jurisdictions, including Australia, Portugal, Ireland and Sweden

As a result of work, the team has been cited in Global Restructuring Review's top ten list, and with this latest appointment in Madrid, DLA Piper's global Restructuring team continues to grow, and follows several high-profile and strategic appointments across Europe, including Adam Plainer in London, Sandra Esquiva-Hesse in Paris and Sven Schelo in Frankfurt.

Jesús Zapata, Country Managing Partner, DLA Piper Spain commented “We are delighted to welcome Juan, a highly experienced lawyer focusing on highly complex restructurings and crises, to our team. His extensive experience and innovative approach will be a great asset to our clients and will strengthen our ability to offer first-rate restructuring solutions.”

Chris Parker, Global Co-Chair of Restructuring, DLA Piper added “Despite signs of resilience and adaptability in the Spanish market since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish economy faces - along with many European nations - a variety of energy, geopolitical, and regulatory challenges. Juan will not only support clients in Spain, but will closely collaborate with our distress-focused European team which covers all key jurisdictions from Southern Europe to the Nordics; and with Juan's appointment, our leading global Restructuring team, which advises clients on complex, cross-border, and high-profile restructuring matters, gains a well-respected lawyer who is versed in distressed debt in Spain and across Europe, along with non-performing loans, an area where we expect to see significant activity in 2025.”

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